Terminal and tool for operating the same



C. K. BROWN TERMINAL AND TOOL FOR OPERATING THE SAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 1, 1960 INVENTOR. (akin a5 (pleura ATTORNEYJ.

Oct. 15, 1963 c. K. BROWN 3,107,136

TERMINAL AND TOOL FOR OPERATING, THE SAME Filed Aug. 1, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 7

I 1/ o o o e o o o I 0 0 O 0 O O 9 62 42-. o o o o as Fla. 5 I ,20 F/Q/o I T j 64 E "I I r-J/ I 3 68 54 $9 62 $2 INVENTOR s1 cuuwc: lfiakadml .56

3,107,136 TERIVHIJAL AND TOOL FOR OPERATWG THE SAME Qlarence K. Brown, Bellfiower, Calii, assignor to Hihear Rivet Tool Company, Torrance, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Aug. 1, 1969, Ser. No. 46,394 4 Claims. (Cl. 33-198) This invention relates to a device for interconnecting electrical terminals.

An object of this invention is to provide a terminal block capable of receiving and holding connected terminal ends. A further object is to provide a tool useful for opening and closing the terminal block, wherein the terminal block may be held open and will be kept open for the reception of terminal ends without efiort on the part of the operator, and which tool cannot be removed or fall off without the operators actually releasing it, so that the action both of the terminal block and of the tool itself are predictable and reliable.

A terminal block according to this invention includes a base to which there is mounted an anvil. A plunger is mounted to the base, and is axially shiftable toward and away from the anvil. It is spring-pressed toward the anvil to tend to clamp a terminal or terminals between it and the anvil. The plunger has a shank that includes a shoulder by which the plunger may be grasped to be shifted toward and away from the anvil to open and close a space where a terminal or terminals is or are to be clamped.

A tool for operating the above terminal comprises a pair of pivotally joined arms, to one of which there is fixed a guide bushing which has a central passage and a retention shoulder. A hook member, which preferably but not necessarily is cylindrical, is slidedly disposed in the central passage of the guide bushing. The hook member has an engaging shoulder for engagement with the shoulder on the plunger. Downward movement of the hook member toward the terminal block is limited by the retention shoulder.

The hook member is pivotally jointed to the other of said arms so that pivotal moving of the two arms reciprocates the hook member within the guide bushing. In operation, the engaging shoulder is engaged with the shoulder on the plunger, and the arms are pivoted to lift the plunger of the anvil (in the retracted position) so that terminals can be placed therebetween.

According to a preferred but optional feature of the invention, detent means are provided to hold the hook member in the retracted position until released so that the tool can be left in its retracted position without its falling off or otherwise permitting the terminal block to close. Both hands can then be used for installing the terminals, whereupon the detent means can be released and the plunger will then again be pressed toward the anvil to firmly clamp the terminals and form a circuit.

The above and other features of this invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a tool according to the invention shown in one of its operative positions;

FIG. 2 is in side elevation of the tool of FIG. 1 in the other of its operative positions;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 are cross-sections taken at lines 4-4, 5-5, and 66 of FIGS. 6, 3, and 1, respectively;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of a terminal block according to the invention;

FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 are top, bottom and end views, respectively, of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 11 is a partial cross-section taken at line 11-11 Fatented Get. 15, 1963 of FIG. 8, showing the interaction between the tool of FIG. 1 and the terminal block of FIG. 7.

A terminal tool according to the invention is shown in FIG. 1. The tool includes a first and a second arm 21, 22, respectively, which are pivotally joined together by a pivot plate 23. The arms are attached to the plate by pins 24, 25. This jointing provides grip portions '26, 27 for engagement by the hands of the user. A spring 2% biases the grip portions apart.

Affixed to the first arm, and on the other side of pin from grip portion 26, there is a guide bushing 29 (FIG. 4). This guide bushing is conveniently made tubular, with a central passage 30 therein. At the bottom end of the central passage there is a central opening 31 and a side opening 32. The side opening can be formed by slotting the side of the bushing. A retainer shoulder 33 stands across a portion of the central passage at its lower extreme. A hole 34 (FIG. 6) is drilled through the side of the guide bushing and arm to accommodate a detent device 35, which includes a headed pin 36, which pin is supported by a spring 37 mounted to the first arm, this spring biasing the pin into hole 34.

A hook member 38 is pivotally jointed to second arm 22 by pin 39. This hook member may conveniently be formed from tubing, although bar or rod stock can be used instead. Pivoting of plate 23 enables the hook member to reciprocate in the central passage without side binding. Were the two arms directly jointed, the hook member could not slide as freely unless the angular movement of the arms were quite small.

At the bottom of the hook member there is an engagement shoulder 41. The engagement shoulder extends a distance D toward the central axis 42 of the tool from the inside wall 42a of the hook member. The hook member has a central opening 43 and a side opening 44. The former may be formed by drilling, and the latter by milling. A hole 45 is drilled in the wall of the hook member and is angularly aligned with hole 34. It is to be understood that this hook member need not have side and central openings as shown, but could instead simply comprise a long rod with an engagement shoulder, but the device illustrated has the advantage of light-weight construction and simplicity of manufacture.

As can be seen from FIG. 6, the headed pin of the detent device can enter into hole 45 to hold the hook member in the retracted position illustrated in FIG. 2. It may be pulled out of hole 45, whereupon spring 28 will force the handles to return the tool to the nonretracted position shown in FIG. 1.

A terminal block 5% suitable for use with tool 20 is shown in FIGS. 7-11. This terminal block (see FIG. 11) has a base 51 which is formed of insulating material and includes a pair of plates 52, 53 which have aligned post holes 54 therethrough. Atop plate 53 there is a slab 55 which has a countersunk opening 56 therethrough, and atop slab 55 there is a slab 57 which has an opening 53 aligned with opening 56. These plates and slabs are all held together by bolts 59. The plates and slabs are made of insulating material so that a single block may be made to provide a number of junction points.

An anvil 60 comprising a conductive plate 61 and post 62 is placed in the countersunk opening, with the post fitted into post hole 54 and also projecting above the anvil member. A retainer 63 has a flange 64 that fits in the countersunk opening. The rest of the retainer passes through that opening and also through opening 58. It has an overhanging shoulder 65 Which serves as a retainer for bias spring 66. Bias spring 66 is interposed between this shoulder and plunger 67. Plunger 67 has a head 68 which is thereby biased toward the anvil. It has a recess 69 therein which receives the upper portion of post 62 to facilitate alignment of the plunger in the anvil. The

3 plunger has a shank 70 which passes through and beyond the retainer. A groove 71 in the shank forms a bounding shoulder 72 which stands outside the retainer so that it will be accessible to tool 20.

The use of the tool and the terminal block is shown in FIG. 11. At the right-hand illustrated connection, a tool 20 is shown having retracted the plunger from the anvil so as to open up a space between them. Now terminals can be inserted through apertures 73 in the side of the base. It will be observed that in order to carry this out, the guide bushing was placed atop the retainer and then was moved sidewise so that the engaging shoulder of the hook member slipped under the shoulder on the plunger. Thereafter, the grip portions of the handle were squeezed together so as to lift the plunger and retract it from the anvil. When the plunger was moved far enough, hole 45 became aligned With the headed pin 36. The headed pin then slipped into the hole, and, as illustrated, now holds the tool in its retracted position.

So that the tool can be left on the block unattended, still holding the plunger retracted, the distance D (the width of shoulder 41) is made at least slightly greater than the spacing E. Spacing E (FIG. 11) is the distance between the inside wall of guide bushing 29 and the outer periphery of bounding shoulder 72 of the plunger. Thus, the tool and the plunger cannot shift laterally far enough for the bounding shoulder to slip off the engaging shoulder on the hook, and the tool therefore cannot be removed without releasing the detent mechanism. The terminal is thereby held open, and remains so without risk of inadvertent closing, until the positive step of unlatching the tool is performed.

After the terminals are inserted through aperture 73 into the space between the anvil and the plunger, the headed pin may be pulled out of hole 45 which will permit the hook member to slide freely in the guide bushing, and this movement will be aided by the bias spring in the terminal block, and also by spring 28 of the tool. Therefore, the terminal will return to its closed position and the tool can be withdrawn.

This device thereby provides a terminal block for making tight circuit connections at terminals by using a tool which can open the terminal block, and hold it open Without requiring the operator to maintain pressure on the tool. Furthermore, its very presence will indicate which of the terminals is open. After the terminals are inserted, the tool is easily removed and the plunger moves strongly toward the anvil to make a good connection. It is to be understood, of course, that various anvils can be electrically interconnected, or have external permanent connections to the anvils, if desired, so that portions of the terminal blocks could be made parts of circuits, instead of merely acting as junctions.

This invention is not to be limited by the embodiments shown in the drawings and described in the description which are given by way of example and not of limitation,

, but only in accordance with the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination: a terminal block for receiving and holding electrically conductive terminals; a base; an anvil mounted to the base; an axially shiftable plunger mounted to the base, and movable toward and away from the anvil; spring means biasing the plunger toward the anvil to clamp terminals therebetween; a groove in said plunger forming a bounding shoulder, there being a passage through the base to the region between the anvil and the plunger; and a tool for shifting and holding said plunger comprising a first arm and a second arm pivotally joined together, the first arm carrying a guide bushing having a central passage therethrough, said central passage having a central opening at one end thereof, a hook member axially slidably disposed in said central passage, an engaging shoulder on said hook member adjacent the said end of the guide bushing, said engaging shoulder being movable to a position clear of the central passage so as to have lateral access to the plunger groove, the hook member being jointed to the second arm so that pivotal movement of the arms relative to each other serves to axially reciprocate the hook member in the central passage, and detent means attached to the first arm and engageable with the hook member to hold the hook member in its retracted position, whereby the engaging shoulder may be fitted into the groove in the plunger and the arms pivoted relative to each other to move the hook member away from the terminal block so as to draw the plunger away from the anvil to permit the insertion of terminals therebetween, engagement of the detent means and the hook member holding the plunger away from the anvil, release of the detent means permitting the spring means to press the plunger toward the anvil and clamp the terminal therebetween.

2. A combination according to claim 1 in which the central passage includes a side opening at an end thereof which intersects the central opening, thereby providing lateral access, and which also includes a retention shoulder on said guide bushing which projects into the central passage adjacent said end.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which the engaging shoulder on the hook member extends radially into the central passage by a distance greater than any lateral play between the inner wall of the central passage and the hook member, whereby the inner hook member cannot be laterally shifted off of the engaging shoulder of the hook member While the hook member is in a retracted position.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 in which the hook member has a hole in its side and in which the detent means comprises a spring-loaded pin on said first arm insertable into said hole.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. IN COMBINATION: A TERMINAL BLOCK FOR RECEIVING AND HOLDING ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE TERMINALS; A BASE; AN ANVIL MOUNTED TO THE BASE; AN AXIALLY SHIFTABLE PLUNGER MOUNTED TO THE BASE, AND MOVABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE ANVIL; SPRING MEANS BIASING THE PLUNGER TOWARD THE ANVIL TO CLAMP TERMINALS THEREBETWEEN; A GROOVE IN SAID PLUNGER FORMING A BOUNDING SHOULDER, THERE BEING A PASSAGE THROUGH THE BASE TO THE REGION BETWEEN THE ANVIL AND THE PLUNGER; AND A TOOL FOR SHIFTING AND HOLDING SAID PLUNGER COMPRISING A FIRST ARM AND A SECOND ARM PIVOTALLY JOINED TOGETHER, THE FIRST ARM CARRYING A GUIDE BUSHING HAVING A CENTRAL PASSAGE THERETHROUGH, SAID CENTRAL PASSAGE HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING AT ONE END THEREOF, A HOOK MEMBER AXIALLY SLIDABLY DISPOSED IN SAID CENTRAL PASSAGE, AN ENGAGING SHOULDER ON SAID HOOK MEMBER ADJACENT THE SAID END OF THE GUIDE BUSHING, SAID ENGAGING SHOULDER BEING MOVABLE TO A POSITION CLEAR OF THE CENTRAL PASSAGE SO AS TO HAVE LATERAL ACCESS TO THE PLUNGER GROOVE, THE HOOK MEMBER BEING JOINTED TO THE SECOND ARM SO THAT PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF THE ARMS RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER SERVES TO AXIALLY RECIPROCATE THE HOOK MEMBER IN THE CENTRAL PASSAGE, AND DETENT MEANS ATTACHED TO THE FIRST ARM AND ENGAGEABLE WITH THE HOOK MEMBER TO HOLD THE HOOK MEMBER IN ITS RETRACTED POSITION, WHEREBY THE ENGAGING SHOULDER MAY BE FITTED INTO THE GROOVE IN THE PLUNGER AND THE ARMS PIVOTED RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER TO MOVE THE HOOK MEMBER AWAY FROM THE TERMINAL BLOCK SO AS TO DRAW THE PLUNGER AWAY FROM THE ANVIL TO PERMIT THE INSERTION OF TERMINALS THEREBETWEEN, ENGAGEMENT OF THE DETENT MEANS AND THE HOOK MEMBER HOLDING THE PLUNGER AWAY FROM THE ANVIL, RELEASE OF THE DETENT MEANS PERMITTING THE SPRING MEANS TO PRESS THE PLUNGER TOWARD THE ANVIL AND CLAMP THE TERMINAL THEREBETWEEN. 